The House of Harunoko
by yaslanagirl
Summary: Rated purely for Language. This is the introduction for my character Harunoko Misaki. This is her story. Adventure, Sadness, Loss of Family, Friendships, and the Importance of Love even to Demons .Pairings:IY/Kag, Mir/San, Kog/Aya, & Possible Sess/Misaki.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is the first chapter in the introductory story for my newest character named Harunoko Misaki. I really hope you like it, please let me know of things I can do to improve. Also, I do not own Inuyasha, but I -do- however own the Harunoko Clan and everything associated. The next chapter will be a better introduction of Harunoko Misaki, I wanted to get the plot down for the first chapter, see what the general ideas about it were.

In the Palace of the Southern Lands

Koga was seething.

That bitch. Whatever happened to the "I'm full of myself and I hate your non Ice-Yokai butt!"? He wished he could shred her letter, and burn the shards, and burn the ashes (just for good measure, he told himself after a moment of contemplation). It was simply frustrating. He had gotten used to dealing with that side of her personality, but this was completely different. And he couldn't get rid of the letter, no matter how much he wanted to. It was an official letter, sealed with the Official seal of the Harunoko Clan. The clean spidery script her knew from his childhood days had not changed even slightly. Now that spidery ink was staring up at him, daring him to make a comment. Sighing, Koga decided that he needed a break. Anything to get away from the memories that difficult handwriting and the equally difficult woman it brought to mind.

Rising from his desk in the den, he slipped on the honorary fur cloak that he only ever wore on rare occasions when he wanted peace and quiet. It was not the cloak that really did it, it was the silent shift in personality, with the cloak on, Koga was no longer an adolescent Wolf kicking the dirt with his friends, Koga was the responsible and respected ruler of the Wolf Tribes. Raising a clawed hand to massage his temples, he signaled a serving girl to his side. "I'll be in the gardens, bring me some brandy," he thought for a moment, "And two glasses." Koga watched for a split second as the command registered in her mind before she bowed and scurried off. Hopefully she'd have the good sense to know who the other glass was for and would send her his way. Ayame was not a big drinker of brandy, he knew, but on occasion she did enjoy the taste of it on her palette. That is the story she gave to Koga, at least, and she stuck to it no matter how many times he tried to pry the real reasoning out of her.

Koga batted away the butterflies that flitted around him as he sat on a particularly flat rock in the middle of the gardens. His brow furrowed and his nose scrunched as her scent reached him. She had arrived faster than he expected, "Hello Ayame, please, come and sit with me."

"Yes, my lord. Thank you," her meek tone was not one that he was used to and for some reason it put him on edge. But she sat next to him anyways, choosing to ignore the tenseness in between his shoulders.

Koga sighed as a way of prelude to what he hoped would be a rather painless explanation. He doubted such, but forged ahead as he normally would have, "I have received an interesting letter from an old acquaintance." His tone implied that it was old indeed, "And it's signed by someone we used to play with. Harunoko Misaki. She has inherited the ruler-ship of the Harunoko clan. Apparently, this is more a problem of how it occurred rather than whether it occurred at all," Koga waited for a sign from Ayame that she wanted to ask a question.

She knew why she was there, to be a listening ear. That's usually how it went whenever Koga wore the cloak of trials and invited her to brandy in the gardens. Of course it was never by name, only ever by implication. But Ayame knew her mate, after many years of union, it could not be helped. Ayame just didn't know what question Koga might want her to ask, and that's usually what kept her on her toes all the time. Nodding her comprehension, she silently spurred Koga on in his hapless explanation.

The corner of his eye caught her nod and he took it as a sign to go on, "Making a long story incredibly short, the Hawk Yokai of the Eastern Lands assaulted the palace and the Harunoko Clan, annihilating the city of ice and its palace. The only survivors are Misaki, Hikaru, and Tenshi. She only mentioned their names among the living, but I don't know where they are and I'm sure it doesn't matter."

"Why would the Harunoko fall so easily, though?"

"They didn't, the Hawk Yokai barely survived as well, but since the battle was not waged upon their own lands, the Hawks had land to return to. The Harunoko children have neither clan nor land. But what I find curious is that she's asked me to help her, several years after the fact. By me I mean the Wolf Tribes of the southern Lands."

"She probably went through mourning and set down to plan and look over all the old ties and new ones as well. If you analyze her decision to ask us rather than the snakes, for example, you will likely find that she has not spent the last two years simply crying and moaning about. I will help you if you like," Ayame did not have a scold or a teacher's tone, simply a helpful love willing to help her mate in something she found interesting.

Koga sighed and rubbed his temples, it was just getting to the part that bothered him. "Yes, I know. I've already looked over the treaties; the problem is the fact that she sounded so defeated and broken in the letter. Used to, the letters we bantered back and forth in, and all the brawling we did as pups, they were filled with a dangerous icy fire. This letter…" He sighed, sucking in a deep breath and letting it out in a measured manner before continuing. "This letter has none of that spark, it's as though she's completely lost the will to survive and the only thing left keeping her going as revenge. If it had been on personal terms, I'd be there in an instant, we both know that. But I don't know that I can risk my own family and clan for a last ditch effort of revenge for someone who's stopped living already."

Ayame understood. No matter how often the two of them spat and scratched and clawed each other to death, they would still be childhood playmates. Best friends separated not only by blood but by familial ties. She saw how much it distressed her love to see his friend melting away, and it made her distressed as well. She also saw the fine line between distressed and frustrated and pissed. Koga happened to be standing on the pinnacle of those lines, uncertain of which way to fall. Ayame sighed; good thing there was brandy, because she was going to need it. The Harunoko twins had been close to her, but Ahiru especially. Their similar personalities seemed to mesh together, it was probably a good indication of why Ayame and Koga got along so well. Ayame missed her friend already, and in honor of her memory, Ayame would fight with Misaki. Koga had a point though, was Misaki's cause great enough to trouble an entire Wolf Tribe and risk their injuries as well? There was going to be some serious problems. She spoke softly, soothing his nerves expertly, "Let's go look at the letter again, I miss Misaki's handwriting."

Koga recognized the request beneath the friendly terms. She technically could not see the letter without his permission, but she was comforting him, letting him know that she understood his personal qualms concerning the letter. Koga spoke in a benevolent and calm tone, "Very well, Lady Ayame. Your wish is my command."

Ayame blushed and hid a secretive smile. He had understood why she asked that way, and understood that she comprehended the more political side of it. This is quite the prickly letter, quite possibly the most controversial letter we've received in a very long time. Setting her empty glass that once held brandy next to Koga's empty glass, she rose and followed him inside. Something different caught her eyes.

The cloak of trials was folded over one of his arms.

Her silent cheers reverberated around in her mind; at least she had gotten him to be a little less tense about it. Now for the really difficult part. She wasn't sure what had been written, but she was sure that if she had to read of Ahiru's death in Misaki's spidery script, Ayame would likely cry a whole series of rivers.

To Be Continued

A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading this first chapter. As this story is an introduction for one of my original characters, the focus will not be on any particular group. I would like to hear opinions on which characters you'd like to see make an appearance and what sort of impact you'd like to see them make on Harunoko Misaki's life. She is not planned out very much at the moment, so any and all suggestions will be considered if not carried out (with full credit given where due). Pairing rules for this story effectively follow what is laid out in the anime: Inuyasha/Kagome, Miroku/Sango, Koga/Ayame, Sesshoumaru/(no one as of yet, likely to remain so unless I get a suggestion).  
BEFORE YOU ASK: No, Misaki is not going to end up paired with Sesshoumaru-sama (though now that I say that, my muse is going to make it so UU muses can be troublesome bastards). I am not normally a huge fan of sticking an original character into the pairing fabric of an anime (but usually that comes into effect when someone tries to pair an Original Character with Inuyasha without stating a good reason why he would leave Kagome and why Kagome would let someone take him from her). There is a _very_ slight possibility that Misaki _might_ become paired with Sesshoumaru-sama, but unless her story twists in a way I haven't seen yet (possible) I don't think Sesshoumaru-sama will have to give up his bachelor status.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This is the second chapter in the introductory story for my newest character named Harunoko Misaki. I really hope you like it, please let me know of things I can do to improve. Also, I do not own Inuyasha, but I -do- however own the Harunoko Clan and everything associated. This next chapter will be a better introduction of Harunoko Misaki than the first, I wanted to get the plot down for the first chapter, and now I give you Misaki-san. Also, I do apologize for the unnecessary confusion on names, Here's a list of people mentioned in the Harunoko Clan and their relations to others::

Takumi: Father of Misaki, married to Kurumi (deceased)  
Kurumi: Mother of Misaki, married to Takumi, previous ruler of Harunoko clan (deceased)  
Tenshi: Twin of Misaki, second heir to the throne (before the clan was destroyed) (still living)  
Hikaru: Cousin of Misaki through maternal ties, third in line to throne (before clan was destroyed) (still living)  
Ahiru: Younger sister to Hikaru, 5th in line to throne (be- you know what I'm gonna say) (deceased)  
Melody: Cousin of Misaki through paternal ties, fourth to throne (deceased)  
((The rest of the family and clan will be mentioned as well, but are less important and won't be listed here))

Misaki looked out the clear windows in her mother's study, she still didn't refer to them as her own quite yet, and looked at the struggling mountainside. She sighed and looked at the destruction that was still being healed over. She longed for her mother's comfort and the companionship of her family. The attack so many moons ago still weighed heavily on her mind and heart, haunting her dreams and daydreams. The plain white snow seemed to call to her soul, and even with the passing of two winters since the fateful week, the snow still seemed dismal.

Once, the Harunoko clan of the ice demons were a successful and prominent member of demonic high society, with stunning ice sculptures and towering pillars of packed snow and ice dotting their landscape. It was a testament to their skill in architecture and command over their element that those cold figures remained even in the hot summer months, but now those pillars and sculptures were long cracked and desecrated, and without enough survivors to rebuild, the ancient art had been lost to the turning of the seasons. It was just one more blow to the pride of the remaining Spring Children.

They'd lost most of the ruling family, with just 3 children remaining of the many heirs, lost their Ice Queen, the majority of their working class, most of the warriors were lost in the battle (and those who did not feel a strong pull to protect the few left alive let themselves die to return to the earth with their brothers in arms), and most of the upper class had also been killed in the massacre of their city.

Left with a small percentage of survivors, and even fewer that could fight or defend themselves, Misaki had struggled to protect her people and seek out the best ally. It had taken a while to become self-sufficient and stable again, and as soon as that happened, she'd sent a letter to her old childhood friend asking for help. It was all she could do, in light of the circumstances, as their primary treaty with the snake clan to the east of their city was very weakened, and the snakes also held a treaty with one of the Hawk clans not directly related to the one that had destroyed her life. As much as she wanted to enlist their aid, she couldn't have risked the shaky treaty by forcing the snake clan's hand.

And Wolves were better against Hawks by many accounts.

She just hoped that it hadn't been too long since having spoken with Kouga. She didn't worry very much about it, but it was just enough to rob her of sleep. Wolves had very long memories, but both Misaki and Kouga were several centuries old, she had her doubts about receiving a reply, let alone a pleasant or reassuring one.

Turning away from the plain glass that had once been a brightly colored stained-glass mural, Misaki left the elegant room and made her way through the rubble of the destroyed city to the few buildings the survivors had been able to salvage and make inhabitable. She looked back at the room, and frowned at the irony: their city had been mostly destroyed, and while the ruler's office was intact, the window that had identified it was smashed beyond repair. It was a suiting metaphor regarding the survivors of the brutal battle.

A knock resounded on the wood around her as she rapped on the door-frame, and then announced herself, "Tenshi, open up! It's me, Misaki."

Her request was respected, and the makeshift door swung open to admit her slight frame. She was enveloped by the arms of her twin brother before she was fully in the room, "Misaki! There's a letter from Kouga," came his excited declaration.

Blue eyes sparkled at each other in unison excitement, and Misaki couldn't help her anticipation from building, "What does it say?"

He frowned, pulling the corners of his pointed features down with his mouth, "I didn't open it yet, it's got the official seal and your name, so I decided to wait on you..." came his explanation.

With shaky pale hands, paler than normal, Misaki used a single claw to open the envelope and slid the heavy paper out. The scent reminded her painfully of her youth, of times that were easier, freer, and happier. Her voice rang out with authority as she read the letter for her brother and cousin, "Dear Lady Harunoko," she visibly cringed, it already sounded bad, but she continued reading, "It is quite worrisome to learn of your situation, and it is my desire, as an old friend, to provide some alleviation to your plight. It is an unfortunate case to be in, and my court will welcome you and any survivors you choose to bring with you with open arms to support you in the interest of our continued friendship and your safety."

Misaki could barely believe it, he'd decided to help them. Scanning her eyes down the length of the letter looking for more information, she nodded and noted that the rest of it was official mumbo jumbo that equated to how many people they could safely support and defend, where she and other members of her clan would stay, what they'd be expected to do, and other things like that. His script was just as she remembered, scrawling, uncomfortably forced into a semblance of something more legible, with a hint of defiant untidiness just seeping through. _Of course, it's not something he does on purpose_, she grinned as she realized, _that's just his nature_.

Turning her infectiously bright blue eyes on her gray eyed cousin, Hikari, Misaki smiled, and their eyes shared the conversation they hadn't dared to voice to avoid worrying Tenshi, '_We can go somewhere safer now, without the fear of another attack, and we can rebuild eventually, too,_' They hadn't dared mention their worry in the interest of Tenshi's health, but neither of them noticed Tenshi's shoulders relaxing slightly as she discreetly watched their uninteligible conversation.

He couldn't understand them, of course, but the way their auras shed the fear and worry as they 'spoke' led Tenshi to calm as well. Sure he was curious, but as long as their safety wasn't compromised, he couldn't really complain, especially in their current situation. Tenshi was glad for the change that rested on the horizon, and her realized that she hadn't mentioned a time, "Misa," he called her by her nickname, "When and where should we meet Kouga?"

Her blue eyes flitted thoughtfully over the paper in search of a time and grinned as she found it, "We can meet him at the joining of rivers south of here on the first crescent moon from now."

Tenshi considered the timing thoughtfully and frowned, "We should move in the morning so we can meet him there, the first crescent shouldn't be more than a few days away, and the rivers join a leisurely three day's walk from here. If we gather things and then not dawdle, we can make it in the three nights from now." The warning he really wanted to give remained unspoken, but his eyes gave part away, '_we need to be careful'_ there would be a perfectly dark night in the middle of their journey, thanks to the new moon-cycle.

Having dutifully gathered their belongings and sent a thankful reply to Kouga alerting him of their acceptance, the three family and two guards that decided to make the journey with them slept peacefully before waking with the sun and setting out. Armed only with their claws and ice-manipulative ki, Misaki and Hikari ran in the middle, keeping a constant look to their sides for attacks. Tenshi and the two guards were armed with the same and swords as well, and they shifted between taking the lead, trailing, and also hovering behind Misaki and Hikari. Their form was as good as an escort fit to serve their ruler, and there she was in the midst of them, protecting themselves together. The three worked well together, as they had most of their life, and their escort of each other was excellent and they made good time.

Unfortunately, that meant going through or around a stand of Hawk nesting grounds just as night fell into a new moon. Deciding to go around and avoid conflict, the five skirted their targets for now, choosing a better timed and planned attack of revenge, and while it guaranteed their safety, they were unable to sleep that night. Foregoing sleep as a valid exchange for safety was common, and they didn't think much of it, but what they didn't know was of the feast and high energy celebration Kouga had planned for their arrival.

They'd have time to sleep later.

Coming upon the juncture of rivers, five waited for one, and were met by two: Kouga and Ayame had come to greet their guests. Misaki was overjoyed to see her childhood friends so close, but bound by official business she restrained her childlike urge to go tackle Kouga and Ayame to the ground. Smiling serenely and bowing, Tenshi and the girls bowed to Kouga and Ayame's mirror action while the guards knelt.

It was a strange sight to see, but none of them were bothered by it.

As they stood, Kouga barely had his back straightened before he was plowed into the dirt, by one overjoyed blue-garbed Misaki, and then Ayame the same by a purple-garbed Hikari. Smiling sheepishly, Misaki stood again, followed by Kouga, who promptly wrapped her in a worried embrace. His eyes were full of worry, and that made Misaki more than a little sorry that she hadn't kept in touch with Kouga more often. Disentangling herself, Misaki approached Ayame and was grateful for her warming presence against Misaki's cold skin. Maybe it was more than physical warmth, maybe it went deeper into the realms of emotions and being glad for familiarity in a time of unfamiliarity.

Having sufficiently exchanged their greetings and gotten their hosts dirty, a few of the surviving members of the ice-demon clan followed Kouga and Ayame back to their clan's land.

Covered in weary smiles, the travelers crested the last hill before the Wolf land was revealed. In a wave of nostalgia and what she'd lost, Misaki shed a painful tear and caught it before the perfect sphere of ice could hit the ground and cause noise. She wasn't fully mature enough to cry crystals as her mother had right before her death, but Misaki wasn't looking forward to her tears becoming crystalline in nature.

Kouga led them all through a waterfall and let them set their belongings down before showing them around. He did warn them, "We have been subject to Hawk attacks in the past, so just be aware and be careful. One of the most important rules here is that this is our pack, our family, and we all protect each other. While you stay here, Misaki, Tenshi, Hikari, Tou, Genma, you will be treated as members of our pack, but you will also be expected to devote effort to the safety and protection of the pack as well," he named them individually and leveled his gaze equally and without animosity or threat in his gaze to each of them.

One of the lovely things about Kouga was his respect for his pack members, and his drive to protect them and keep them safe. Misaki respected this about him and gave a resolute nod, she would abide by his rules, especially since it was such a large task she had requested of him. Misaki was thankful and wanted to prevent as much difficulty for Kouga and Ayame as possible.

* * *

This is chapter two of The House of Harunoko. I wonder if I should continue this story? Let me know!


End file.
